An Oahu grand jury Wednesday indicted a 26-year-old man accused of luring a 13-year-old Wahiawa girl into a sexual relationship by posing online as a 13-year-old boy.
Elwood Reynolds Jr. was indicted on eight counts of sexual assault, first-degree electronic enticement of a child and second-degree custodial interference.
His bail was set at $100,000, with conditions of a no contact order, prohibiting him from being near the girl, a Wahiawa home (presumably hers), witnesses in her family and area schools.
Reynolds met the girl April 24 on social media (Instagram), introducing himself as “Junior Kaiola,” 13, according to court documents filed Monday.
Court documents indicate the relationship quickly progressed, with an in-person meeting May 2, but also show how the girl’s mother took quick action, resulting in getting her daughter back within 24 hours, and enlisted the help of Reynolds’ mother.
Reynolds was arrested May 11 on suspicion of five counts of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of third-degree sexual assault.
Under state law, one way a person commits first-degree sexual assault is if he or she engages in sex with a minor less than 14 or is no less than five years older than the minor.
Reynolds allegedly also used texts, phone and video calls to develop a relationship with the girl, and asked her April 28 to run away with him. She agreed and packed her bags.
The girl’s sister dropped her off 7:30 a.m. May 2 at Wahiawa Middle School, but instead of attending classes she met Reynolds nearby and they walked to a bus stop on California Avenue.
Reynolds allegedly hugged and kissed her at the bus stop, and fondled her as she got on the bus.
The pair traveled to various locations on the bus
including to Waianae and Makaha, where Reynolds
initiated sex with her on the beach.
They also caught a bus to Ala Moana Regional Park, where he allegedly performed sexual acts including intercourse from 10:30 p.m. May 2 to 12:05 a.m. May 3.
Meanwhile, the girl’s mother was alerted by an app that her daughter did not attend her first and
second classes of the day, so she called school officials, who confirmed they could not locate her.
The mother checked the girl’s phone, which she confiscated April 27 for school-
related reasons, and discovered numerous calls between her daughter and a phone number listed as “My Lovah” on her contact list and an Instagram user.
She found messages that indicated they were planning to meet that morning. She reported the matter to police, then called friends and family, who began canvassing the island and posting information online with Reynolds’ number and Instagram name.
The girl’s mother then contacted military police at Schofield Barracks. A military police officer helped by using Hawk Analytic and found Reynolds’ name associated with the phone number and gave it to the mother.
A woman, who was among those who had seen the posts, made online checks and found Reynolds’ mother on Facebook.
She contacted her, stressing the importance of returning the girl to her parents.
His mother agreed,
and called the woman at 12:44 a.m. May 3 to tell her she found her son and the girl near Ala Moana Regional Park.
Reynolds’ mother called police at 1:37 a.m., and brought the girl to a Kaheka Street store where they met with police, and the child was reunited with her parents.
The girl later gave a
detailed accounting and showed police where Reynolds took her and told what he did.
Police also have surveillance video confirming some of their whereabouts on
May 2.
